Oneida – Secret Wars

Oneida have been wowing the underground scene in their native New York and beyond since Kid Millions, Fat Bobby and Hanoi Jane got together back in ’97. ‘Secret Wars’ still has them making experimental garage rock, they have been likened to everyone from the Stooges onward. The dirty bass, guitars that can evoke rage, temptation, torment and serenity topped off with vocals that will remind you of good old punk rock from ’77 and, weirdly, the Beach Boys and Ride in some (I hasten to add, different) tracks. Teetering on the brink of chaos is where Oneida find their comfort zone while managing to keep away from plummeting off the edge. Oneida pull influences from across a wide range of genres and years of rock history, and build upon them – often combining them with new twists. They are never predictable, nor too “challenging”. They are innovators and experimentalists with the skill and vision to pull it off.